Dark Days Home
by Secret Space Mouse
Summary: The Voltron Force return home to Arus after the events detailed in Epilogue, the comic printed in the Voltron: From Days of Long Ago Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration book. (Alternate Universe based on the Voltron Force continuity.) Warning: Not a HEA. Written for the KAEX Holiday Exchange 2016.
1. Vince

Dark Days Home

By Yoshi, Secret Space Mouse

Author's Note:

The Christmas season has always been bittersweet for me. Joy and happiness are tempered by sadness when loved ones are missing from the holiday table, particularly when the pain of separation is still fresh and sharp.

It didn't help that the prompt I was given was to write something inspired by the song Wave by Beck. While I actually had most of another story written, after reading Patton Oswalt's Year of Magical Parenting essay in GQ, my muse took me down a very different path.

And so I would like to warn you that having a fresh box of Kleenex may be a good idea.

Continuity note:

This story takes place in the Voltron Force Universe after Epilogue, the comic printed in the Voltron: From Days of Long Ago Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration book.

— — — — — — — — —

Chapter 1: Vince

Two hundred fifty one Arusian orbits.

That's how long it's been since we took the Den Ship — the Force's mobile base of operations off into space to look for Voltronix, a planet on the edge of the Far Universe so far away it wasn't on any of our maps.

I rub my finger over my cybernetic eyeball. It's been almost a year since I lost my eye but I'm still not used to the way my augmentation feels. My eye, like much of Arus, is a casualty of Haggar's last attack. The damned witch sneaked into the Castle and kidnapped Daniel from Sick Bay. And of course, just to remind us who she was and what we were up against, she conjured up a legion of robeasts.

Luckily, Allura knew how to get the old witch talking. Haggar used to love to gloat and apparently old habits die hard. Knowing how Lotor figures heavily in Allura's nightmares, the old witch wasted no time in letting the Queen know that King Lotor was still alive. She didn't realize that she had given us enough information to form a coherent action plan.

Betting that the reincarnated Lotor was motivated more by revenge than lust, Keith and Allura pushed up their plans and released the news about their marriage to all the news and social media outlets they could reach.

Voltron, Defender of the Universe went on the offensive. We needed to upgrade Voltron ASAP and the only way we could think of going about that was to get to Voltronix and understand its secrets.

The Veterans decided that Arus needed a Queen to rule and direct the reconstruction efforts more than the Force needed a backup pilot. Keith… well, he might be King now, but he's still the commander of the Voltron Force. He's also Batman to Lotor's Joker. Spider-Man to the Green Goblin. Arch-enemies. Mortal-enemies. Whatever's got more enmity. That's what Keith and King Lotor are.

In Lotor's head, Keith committed a heinous crime — he touched Allura — ruining the pure thing left in the universe. Lotor swore that Keith would pay. We took advantage of his desire for revenge and dangled Black Lion in front of him. Lotor took our bait and we managed to lure him away from Arus.

New threats emerged as we headed farther and farther from home. Lotor recruited an army of Drule pirates and bolstered their strength with the Haggar's robeast creations. Daniel — at least the Haggarium infused thing that he had become — was Haggar's obra maestra. The old witch thought that she had warped his mind so completely that he no longer saw us as his friends and allies.

Major miscalculation on her part. She didn't know my best friend at all. When push came to shove, Daniel told Haggar and Lotor what they could do with their plans to conquer the universe and then made sure of it.

So now, we're on our way back home, engines full ahead. We didn't end up finding Voltronix but because of Daniel's sacrifice, we don't need the upgrades immediately. Hopefully though, if the space drones Pidge and I designed work as they should, we'll have better intelligence the next time we need to head out.

God, I hope there won't be a need for a next time.


	2. Laramina

Chapter 2: Laramina

One thing I learned about this expedition to the edge of the Far Universe is that I am not cut out to be a Space Explorer. I didn't realize how remote space could be. I know, Arus technically is in the Far Universe, but it was in a *civilized* part of the Far Universe, if you know what I mean.

In Arus, we had ubiquitous access to news and social media. I could find out what was going on in the universe around me! We had the castle cooks. We also had restaurants. I had my choice of hamburgers or pizzas or pastas! Anything I wanted. I could go out and find it.

Going out is not an option on expeditionary missions. When we're out, we're either fighting or exploring a new planet. Otherwise, we spend most of our time in the Den Ship doing research, repairing the lions or sparring in the gym.

Housekeeping also takes up a lot of our time. God, I miss the castle staff! I went into the common washroom once and I swore never to use it ever again. I'm so glad that as the only female member of the Force I merited my own bathroom!

Another thing I didn't realize is that on an Expedition, opportunities for leisure are limited. The veterans prepared for this. Keith brought onboard several ereaders and even more printed books. Lance, a guitar and his portable music player. Hunk packed a whittling knife and a stack of wood. Pidge brought video games and board games.

I was already going crazy barely a week out of Arus-space when Keith took me aside and showed me the boxes that Aunt Allura had him bring onboard for me. My foreign languages textbooks and dictionaries and the rest of the coursework for I need for my Royal Studies. Musty tomes on diplomacy, history, economics, law.

Keeping sarcasm in check — because Keith would not let it pass the way my aunt would — I thanked him and carted everything to my stateroom. I could almost hear Aunt Allura's voice say, "Someday this responsibility will be yours." Of course I scoffed and rolled my eyes, as I always did when she told me that, but I could see in my mind's eye that knowing smile of hers.

Fine. She was right. Karma's a bitch. I always thought that tact was just a nice way of saying things, but it isn't, not really. Diplomacy is all about getting people to see things your way, using words to diffuse situations. So even when you're unarmed, you're not defenseless. Pretty cool, eh? Learning how to do it well gives me something to do while I wait for my turn to use the Den Ship's limited exercise equipment.

I glance at the chronograph on the wall. Only half an hour until Keith and Lance are done. Those two guys need a lot of caffeine and endorphins in their systems before they can be civil to each other and everyone else. And that's another lesson we learned the hard way — life on the Den Ship is much more peaceful if Keith and Lance take their PT time first.

Hold on. I haven't heard that sound in a while. It's a notification chime! Are we finally in civilized space? Oh my goodness, we are! I grab my datapad and start scrolling through the latest news.

I roll my eyes at the latest celebrity scandal — really, they should know better by now!— chuckle at a few jokes, watch at a few baby animal videos and save a few links to read at a later time before I see the status update from the official social media account of the Castle of Lions.

"Her Royal Majesty Allura, Queen of Arus, was delivered of a daughter, Allysandra Keitha Kogane, this evening. The baby will henceforth be known as Her Royal Highness the Princess Allys."

A lump forms in my throat and I blink back tears as I read through the brief post once again. Royal proclamations of this sort are always based on templates. If you're familiar with the basic format, it's easy enough to see what has been left unsaid.

The sound of cheering and jubilation from the common area floats through the hall and into my room, even through the closed door. I hear Keith laugh in a way I've never heard him laugh before - happy and carefree.

Crap. I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell him.


	3. Pidge

Chapter 3: Pidge

I knock lightly on the door of Laramina's stateroom with one hand while I carefully balance the tray I carry with the other. The team likes making jokes about my ninja skills, but trays are my kryptonite. Just ask Nanny. I always manage to tip them over or run into them.

Hearing the muffled acknowledgement of my knock, I push open the door. I'm pretty sure what Laramina said was go away, but what happened to Allura hit her pretty hard. If I know Laramina, she's rehashing in her head every argument she and Allura ever had — and I hear they were legion.

In normal circumstances, Laramina doesn't allow any of us in her room. She says she wants to keep it testosterone-free. It's why I come bearing chocolate. She won't say no to that. And come to think of it, chocolate tempted Allura into doing crazy things too. It must be a teenage girl thing.

"What's all this?" Laramina asks, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.

"Something sugar-laden and totally unhealthy." I reply, handing her a cup.

"Hot chocolate?"

"Mmmhmm. With marshmallows… I used to drink this all the time. I haven't had any in…. more years than I can remember."

Laramina took a cautious sip. "These are actually pretty good."

I taste a little bit of mine. "The Force… at Allura's urging... used to sneak into the kitchen after missions at night to get these. It was the only way she could have some. Nanny didn't want her to have any. Calories and all that."

I watch as the amused smile Laramina throws me fades. She dabs at her eyes once again. "I didn't think Aunt Allura would ever do that," Laramina mused. "She always seems so… by the book."

I didn't think I had it in me, but that made me laugh. "Really? That's what you thought? Trust me, Allura was a troublemaker. She went off-script in more ways then you could count. That's why she cut you a lot of slack, she understood you far more than you thought she did."

Laramina looked puzzled.

"When we first arrived in Arus, Allura and I, well, we were about as old as you. Keith, Lance, Sven and Hunk were the veterans then too. They were older and had way more life experience than either of us. After all, I had just graduated from the academy. Allura had spent most of her life hiding from Zarkon in the Castle and in the cave shelters. "

"Oh, the olden days," Laramina's attempt to snark was weak but I appreciated the effort. It made things feel more normal and less like a horrible dream.

"Nanny and Coran… they had plans for her. She was the Princess, with a capital P. She was supposed to marry a prince and restore the Royal Court so they could resume the lives they had known, the lives that they were supposed to live. But she would have none of it."

Laramina looked startled. "I never quite thought of it that way. Nanny must have had a cow." She started ticking off the the untraditional things she knew her aunt did. "Blue Lion, self-defense, flightsuit…"

"Being friends with us was another doozy," I smiled at the memory. "Nanny couldn't stand us. She thought we were just the hired help. To be fair though, we really were hooligans! Hunk was such a slob."

"Hate to tell you this," Laramina commented dryly, "but he still is."

"Allura saw past our rough edges. She believed in us when everyone else chalked us up as a lost cause. She gave us someone to rally around and a home to fight for." My eyes start misting up and I lift my glasses to to swipe at my eyes. "Crap. I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Anyway, I came here because I wanted to tell you what Allura told me after Balto… You may not have the family you were born into, but you have us. We'll be your family. And I promise you, you won't be ever be alone again."


	4. Lance

Chapter 4: Lance

If there was a Jeopardy answer about "Space Explorer and former Doom slave," most people would answer "Who is Sven?" in a heartbeat. They often forget that Keith, Hunk, Pidge and I were once slaves too. Zarkon's troops captured us when we first crashed on Arus and threw us in the dungeons to use as robeast training material.

While we were there, I saw some freaky things. If you ever wanted to see a place that's devoid of hope and happiness, look no further than the dungeons under Castle Doom. I still hear the anguish and despair in my dreams.

The sound Keith made when he found out what happened to Allura would have fit right in. He was devastated. There's no other way to describe it. He went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. All within a span of ten minutes.

Laramina didn't even have to say anything. When she came out of her room to join us in the common area, all it took was one look at her face for us to figure out something was majorly wrong. She was crying so hard, all she could manage to get out was "Aunt Allura" before starting to sob once again and running back into her room.

Keith slipped away in the commotion. When he's upset, he needs to be alone to process what happened. This… what happened to Allura… this will take a lot of processing.

On Arus, he'd slink off to his office. He doesn't have that option on the Den Ship though. Space is too much of a premium for a luxury like that. He wouldn't go to his stateroom. The walls are too thin and he'd want to yell and curse and punch a few walls.

Allura would send me in to talk to him when he gets like this. She never quite understood how we guys deal with things. We don't sit around talking about feelings like girls. We work things out by doing stuff like pounding on each other in sparring practice, repelling an invasion of Lotorian troops or coming up with strategies to capture Wade.

She would understand though that when dealing with Keith, timing is everything. Keith won't be ready until he is ready. And when that time comes, I'll be there for him. It's in my job description, both as his First Officer and as his friend.

I head to Black Lion to check on him only to find the cockpit empty. Stepping out of the mecha, I look around and see Blue flash her eyes at me, acknowledging my presence and purpose.

Of course, he'd be there. It is… was… Allura's Lion. It's where he'd feel closest to her. Hell, I have a feeling that Blue's cockpit is where they fell in love all those years ago, back when he was teaching her how to fly.

The Lions will look out for him as they do for for all of us, but I still stand watch until we're close enough to establish communication with Arus. I call Pidge to relieve me while I call Castle Control.

My conversation with the officer on duty is brief. I'm in no mood to exchange pleasantries and neither is he. We exchange information, make arrangements and coordinate schedules. We are soldiers, trained to push our own grief aside to see to our duty and serve those who we swore to protect.

I start making my plans as I walk back to my quarters to pick up a few things. Since there's no way Keith could lead in his current state of mind, I need to take command. I'll hand it back when he wants it and is ready for it, of course, but for now, he needs to grieve, to come to terms with what happened.

Shit. I need take my own advice too. I can't even say it. Even to myself.

First things first. We got back just in time. The funeral will be tomorrow. Allura is in Leona, in the Cathedral... When was the last time I was there? That fake funeral when Haggar cast that sleeping spell on her? I had a hard enough time holding my shit together then when I knew it was fake, I can't imagine how I'm going to handle it now.

Focus, McClain. Focus.

Of all of us, Vince is the one who is the least close to Allura so he gets to pilot the Den Ship. There's no way it can land there so we're going to have to take the Lions. Guard said there were thousands of people queueing up to pay their respects and sign the Book of Sympathy I need to have the guard clear an area for the Lions and secure it.

Dress uniforms. Nanny would expect us to wear them. It doesn't matter that we literally just got back from a deep space mission. Wearing the proper uniform shows the proper respect. Hmm.. Laramina. I'm sure Nanny packed a gown for her, but can she fly a lion while wearing one? Ah well. She's a smart kid. I'm sure she'll figure it out.

I make my way back to the launch bay where Pidge is waiting. He's playing a game on his datapad, something he does only when he wants to forget everything for a while. He looks up as I approach.

"Still in there. And it's been quiet." Pidge says. "Do you know the plans yet?"

I give Pidge a brief update on what I learned from Castle Control and let him know my thoughts and orders. I don't have to ask him to relay it to the others. We've worked together long enough. We know each other's quirks and idiosyncrasies.

I wait for him to walk off before I turn to Blue Lion and give her a quick pat. "I'm sorry, Blue. I forgot to tell you that. I know you loved her too."

Blue responds by flashing her eyes and making a mournful yowl before opening her jaw to let me in. She's worried about Keith too. She wouldn't have let me in if she wasn't.

"Thanks Blue," I say as I enter. "I'll take it from here."

Keith is sitting on the command chair with his back to me. He has his voltcom set on presentation mode - pictures of Allura through the years. I see the girl she had been when we first crashed on Arus mature into the woman she had become by the time we left on the Voltronix mission.

"Keith?"

Keith hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at me. "Yes?" Tears were welling up in his already red-rimmed eyes and his chin trembled from the effort of keeping his feelings locked inside. His cheeks were wet with the tears that he had already shed.

"She was yours, but she was also ours. We need to give her a proper farewell." I pull a bottle of 65 year old single malt whiskey from the the folds of my jacket and show it to him. It's a bottle we've had since the Academy. It was expensive for us then — hell, it still is even now! — but to salute a fallen comrade, only the best would do.

I hand the bottle to him while I pull out two scotch glasses from the pocket of my jacket. Keith pours a few fingers of whiskey for each of us. I think back to the last few times we did this, for Black when Wade took him and for Sven after Crydor.

"To Allura," I say as I raise my glass.

"To Allura," he repeats with glassy eyes as he sips his whiskey and turns back to watch his life flash before him.

There was nothing further to be said. We let silence fill the Lion while while we sip our whiskey and remember the woman who had meant so much to both of us.


	5. Hunk

Chapter 5: Hunk

A Shower. Long and hot. It's one of the first things I do when I come home after a mission. Wash away the grime. Wash away the memories. Things seem different after a hot shower. Most of the time.

God, I wish it did. It still doesn't feel real.

Allura looked beautiful. Peaceful. She was surrounded by flowers and had a small smile on her face. She looked like she was just taking a nap in the countryside and would wake at any moment.

After we said our goodbyes to her, we stepped away to give Keith privacy. He and Allura… they've been surrounded by curious eyes and gossiping mouths for as long as they've known each other. It made things difficult for them.

Lance, Pidge and I stood guard for hours, keeping everyone away. Close enough to provide protection, but far enough to be out of earshot. To give the Chief a few hours alone with his wife. I hope Vince and Laramina understand why it had to be just us veterans. We were when Keith and Allura met, when they fell in love and we had to see it through and guard their final farewell.

That reminds me. I didn't see Nanny at the funeral. I should go check on her. But first, I need to get neat and clean. She would have it no other way. I pull out my black and yellow flight suit and dress up.

I find Nanny where I knew she would be, in the Royal Nursery. She's sitting in a rocking chair cradling the baby Princess in her arms. I recognize the song she's singing, a traditional Arusian ballad that Allura used to sing to the children in orphanages. It never quite sounded that sad when Allura sang it though.

The brief smile she greets me with transforms her face into the familiar maternal lines. When it disappears, I am struck by how much older and faded Nanny is, a far cry from the strident battle-axe we used to to liken her to.

I give her a small bow, but do not otherwise acknowledge her presence. Instead, I kneel and reach for Allys' small hand. "I, Hunk Garrett, do swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Highness, the Princess Allys."

Nanny's smile this time is warm. "Thank you, Hunk. I am glad you are home." She beckons the nursery maid over. "You must be hungry. I will send for some food for you. I doubt you have been able to eat well on your journey."

She murmurs a few things in Arusian to the nursery maid and with an imperious wave of her hand, sends the girl off to do her bidding. It's a familiar sight and comforting in its familiarity.

I sit down on the floor in front of Nanny and settle in to admire the baby. "She's beautiful, isn't she? She looks just like Princess."

Nanny's smile is both wistful and sad. "She does. She also has her mother's temper. You should hear her when things do not go according to her plan, like if you change her diaper when she would prefer you do otherwise."

I smirk. "She gets that honestly. Could come from her father too, you know. He has quite a temper too… he just hides it better."

Nanny's bark of laughter is welcome sound. "How is he?" she asks.

"Devastated." I reply with a simple shrug. "He blames himself. For all the things he did and for all the things he didn't do."

"She would not like to hear that," Nanny's eyebrows draw together. Despite her personal grief, she still finds it in her heart to worry about the Chief. "Hunk, the Queen left a letter for the King. It should be on top of her desk in her office. Could you please see that he gets it?"


	6. Allura

Chapter 6: Allura

Dear Keith,

I hope you don't mind, but since you've been away, I've started using your office when I need to put my feet up. When I'm here, people leave me alone. I can pretend that you're being you, doing those things you do to protect us and keep us safe.

I saw Doctor Gorma today. He asked me if I wanted to know the gender of our baby. I didn't want to. I still hope that we get the chance to find out together. Nanny thinks it's a girl though, because of an old Arusian superstition about the way I'm carrying the baby in my belly - low and round.

She's getting heavier though— the baby not Nanny — and she's very active. I'm not sure what martial art she's picked up — Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, Muay Thai, Capoeira? — but it definitely involves a lot of kicking, particularly when she hears your voice on your Captain's Logs!

But I digress. Tradition dictates that I write this letter. Historically, many Queens of Arus have died from childbirth complications and sadly, despite advances in modern medicine, maternal death still does happen today.

If the worst happens, I want you to know this— it may seem that my life was cut short but I lived a life that I could once only dream of. I've seen the stars up close. I've soared through the skies and seen the sun rise. I've napped in meadows, picked wildflowers and marveled at rainbows.

And you know what? I was able to do all of those things because of you. You brought hope and joy and wonder. You saw ME, not the Princess and treated me like a normal human being. You taught me what love is and what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. I could not ask for anything more.

If you're reading this, then Fate has decreed that my time has come. Please know I am not afraid. Remember, we Arusians believe that death is simply the next stage of our life's journey.

I came across a passage by Henry Scott Holland in one of your books that explains what I mean much better than I could. I'm sure you've read it before but I'll just write it out so that you know exactly which passage I'm talking about.

 _Death is nothing at all._

 _I have only slipped away to the next room._

 _I am I and you are you._

 _Whatever we were to each other, That, we still are._

 _Call me by my old familiar name._

 _Speak to me in the easy way which you always used._

 _Put no difference into your tone._

 _Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow._

 _Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together._

 _Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me._

 _Let my name be ever the household word that it always was._

 _Let it be spoken without effect. Without the trace of a shadow on it._

 _Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same that it ever was._

 _There is absolute unbroken continuity._

 _Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?_

 _I am but waiting for you._

 _For an interval. Somewhere. Very near. Just around the corner._

 _All is well._

When you feel sad, look out at the sunrise. The darkest night will eventually yield to the light of day. Look at our legacy.

Our beautiful world.

Our darling child.

My one regret is that I will not be able to watch her grow but I take solace knowing that she has you. Teach her how to lead but teach her how to laugh. Teach her how to fight and how to be kind. Take her up in Blue sometime and tell her about me.

I love you, Keith.

Always and beyond forever.

Allura


	7. Keith

Chapter 7: Keith

Allura's letter was a kick in the pants. Literally.

I don't know how long I sat in the darkness of my office before I carefully placed the letter in my desk drawer, stood up and started making myself presentable. A shower and a shave later, I was as ready as I was ever going to be.

I open my door and trip over Hunk, who had set up shop outside my office with camp chair and table loaded with food. I glare at him but he pointedly ignores me as he picks up a pack of potato chips and fell into step behind me, munching away.

At this time of the night, the Castle is so quiet that all I hear is the sound of our footsteps and rustling and crunching from Hunk's snack. The munching sounds grate on my already strained nerves. I strive for a semblance of civility. "It's late, Hunk. You should turn in. I'll be fine."

"You will be. Eventually." he agreed mildly. "And we have your back until you are."

We come to a halt outside the nursery. I hesitate for a long moment. I feel the familiar urge to retreat to the safety of my study — the Fortress of Solitude, as Lance calls it — but I take a deep breath to gather my courage and push the door open.

Hunk dismisses the nursery maid with a quick gesture while I step inside and look around. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. There were no frills or pink in sight. The nursery had three pale creamy walls and one with a mural depicting a rolling meadow, a blue lake, and a leafy forest.

"The crib was Allura's," Hunk says from the doorway, drawing my attention to the dark wood slats. "Nanny found it packed away in a storeroom and had a master woodworker restore it and bring it up to code."

I edge closer and peered into the crib. Allys was asleep, swaddled in a pink blanket.

"You can pick her up, you know." Hunk tells me as he comes inside the room to stand by my side. "Babies need to be carried. It's good for them too. It helps them feel loved and safe… Here, support her neck."

Before I could protest or say anything otherwise, I find myself cradling Allys in my arms and settled in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. Hunk stands over me, using his large bulk to keep me seated. I fight the panicked urge to hand her back to him and run. He looks at me with a sad smile. "You need her and she needs you too."

And with that, he left the room, leaving me alone with my daughter.

Her eyes were closed. I traced my fingers gently over her soft cheek. Most of the newborns I've seen were bald, but Allys already had some pale fuzz on her head, much like the baby pictures of Allura that I had seen. Her eyes flutter open. Blue. Would they stay that way or turn green?

Allys chose that moment to give me a sleepy smile — Allura's smile! — before scrunching up her little face and yawning. I felt a lump form in my throat and I tighten my arms around her, mindful of how delicate she is. I inhaled deeply and take in her sweet baby smell.

I wish Allura were here. She would know what to do, what to say. I don't so I'm just going to have to muddle along. Hell, I'm probably going to screw things up beyond all comprehension but giving up is not an option.

Allys is mine. She's all I have left of Allura.

I don't know anything about babies — or being a father for that matter, but that doesn't matter. The one thing I do know is that you will never be prepared for anything you do, ever. Not the first time. Training and book knowledge are well and good, but they mean nothing when things get FUBAR as things do.

But things do get better. I have subjective yet ironclad knowledge of this.

I think back to our first days on Arus — after we crash-landed, were captured by Zarkon and escaped only to crash-land back on Arus. I felt the same terror. I longed for the same retreat. And somehow I sort of half breathed in and took a few steps forward and a few steps back. Eventually, I got the hang of it and we managed to get our act together.

Somehow, and I'm not exactly sure how… I managed to make a princess fall in love with me. She was so far above my paygrade, it was crazy. She was beautiful, sassy, spunky, smart, compassionate and brave. Every prince in the galaxy wanted her but she only wanted me. I couldn't believe it. I tried to run away from it. But my Princess was nothing but stubborn. She waited until I ran out of excuses. Ran of of reasons to push her away.

We had it. Our version of it.

And so, to honor what we had, I'm going to do what my Princess would want me to do. Continue what we started and see it through. Allura refused to spend her life looking at what could have been. That's the kind of person she was. She lived her life moving forward.

Just like I have a feeling Allys will.

So that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to hide. I'm going to wake up every morning and deal with each day as it comes. I'm going to be here with you if you need me, Allys. Because God knows, I'm going to need you.

I can do it.

I know can do it.

Because of you, Allys.

-end-


End file.
